1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fishing bobber that has a protective chamber for holding bait. In addition, the present invention relates to a fishing pole having a launch mechanism powered by an elongate elastic member for launching the bobber or other weight from the distal end of the fishing pole.
2. State of the Art
Fishing bobbers are well known in the art. The bobbers commonly have a watertight air chamber, and because of the material that they are made of and their bulk provide a weight which facilitates casting a fishing line from a fishing pole. The bobbers have conventionally been attached to the fish line, with a leader extending from the bobber to a hook at the end of the leader. Bait is impaled on the hook and the fishing pole is used to cast the bobber and the bait over a body of water. The length of the leader is limited because an excessive length of leader hanging from the bobber at the end of a fishing pole is hard to control. Further, the bait gets damaged by the whipping of the leader that hangs from the bobber during casting of the bobber and line over the body of water.
A fishing bobber is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,809,461 that has a watertight air chamber and a water chamber that has an open top. The water chamber is filled with water and a line bait is attached to the fish line and then placed in the compartment containing the water. The bobber is then cast out into a body of water. The line bait is protected from excessive injury when the bobber hits the water, and the live bait exits the water filled chamber through its upper end which sinks in the water due to the air chamber floating on the water. Live bait such as minnows will swim out of the water filled chamber, but other bait such as worms often do not exit the water filled chamber. There is no provision in the bobber of U.S. Pat. No. 4,809,461 for handling the length of leader between the line which is tied to the bobber and the bait at the end of the leader. The leader can become entangled about the bobber and restrain the live bait from exiting the water chamber, especially when the live bait is a worm.
Fishing rods have been proposed for projecting or launching a lure, bait, float or sinker with a fishing line attached thereto. Devices have been disclosed that use compressed gases. See for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,834,056 and 4,110,929. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,631,852 a solid propellant rocket motor is even suggested. All the devices that use compressed air or other propellants such as a rocket motor are complex, expensive and generally impractical as well as being hazardous to use.
A more sensible casting rod is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,656,252 wherein a launching rod is forced backwardly into a spring containing chamber. The spring provides a force against the launching rod, and when the device is fired, the launching rod moves rapidly forward and launches a weight to be cast from the distal end of the launching rod. The actual fishing rod is displaced downwardly from the launching rod and the fishing line is fed out through the distal end of the fishing rod and then doubled back to the launching rod. The fishing line thus experiences a sever whipping action as it is being cast, and the line in many instances can be broken or damaged to where it is unusable. The bait or lure on the fishing line experiences the same whipping action, and the bait or lure can be damaged beyond being useful.